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Synopsis

'My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.'Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Now featuring a brand-new chapter told by bully Julian, WONDER is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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What the critics say

A gem of a story. Moving and heart-warming. This book made me laugh, made me angry, made me cry- Malorie Blackman

What a gem of a story. Moving and heart-warming. This book made me laugh, made me angry, made me cry- Malorie Blackman

The breakout publishing sensation of 2012 will come courtesy of Palacio, a New York graphic designer whose debut novel, Wonder, is destined to go the way of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dogin the Night-Time and then some . . . It is dark, funny, touching and no Tube carriage will be without a copy this year- The Times

It wreaks emotional havoc . . . To finish it with a firm resolve to be a better person - well, you can't ask much more of any book than that- Independent

When the kids have finished with this, the adults will want to read it. Everybody should- Financial Times

When the kids have finished with this, the adults will want to read it. Everybody should- Financial Times

Awesome . . . So authentic you'll swear a kid wrote the book. And yes, that's a good thing- Glamour

It’s one of those rare books with almost universal appeal: it will make you laugh, cry and break your heart- The Bookseller

I am terrifically jealous of everybody that gets to read Wonder for the first time. Every page is honest, brave and delightful. The most sparkly book I've come across for whiles- Laura Dockrill

Incredibly charming, brutal and brilliant- Observer

This is a wonderful book and I couldn't recommend it more highly . . . What fantastic stuff- Katy Moran

I am terrifically jealous of everybody that gets to read Wonder for the first time. Every page is honest, brave and delightful. The most sparkly book I've come across for whiles- Laura Dockrill

From the incredible first paragraph...you are hooked into August's life and boy what a life he leads. It's an emotional roller coaster as you find yourself wanting to protect this fictional character... The book is one that you continue to think about days after reading it. I was told it was geared to kids but really don't think that this is a book that can be pigeon holed into one genre. The writing is beautifully crafted to embrace the many complex emotions most of us has endured at one time or another. It also covers many difficulties that people of all ages continue to battle in adulthood.I'd be very surprised if this doesn't win awards.- Mardixon.com

This was pressed upon me with such enthusiasm that I pushed my reading pile to one side and started Wonder straight away. This is an extraordinary book about an extraordinary family...The short chapters told in the voices of Auggie, his sister Via and his friends Summer and Jack, make for devouring this heart warming tale in one sitting. Now I'm pressing this upon you. It will fill you with confidence and give you real faith in humanity. It may even make you a better person. August is an amazing character and this is a book of Wonder. Fact.- Askews

Forget self-help books if you want something life-affirming... read WonderWho knew a 10-year-old boy could teach you so much about life? August, his family and friends are the sort of characters that you'll genuinely miss when you have to close this book.This book will make you cry without being soppy, teach you without being preachy and make you laugh without inhibition.- Sugarscape

Wonder has its own special place in the bottom of my heart and it's going to stay there forever. I cannot believe how amazingly beautiful this story is and I really want to see it on every school library, in every language, in every country across the whole world because it should be required reading for all children between 10 and 16! I urge you to go out and read this book; it's a beautiful emotional rollercoaster that everyone should journey through.- Readaraptor

This might be a book aimed at children, but I think it should be read by people of all ages. It just might change the way you see other people. Wonder has a powerful message and is honest, poignant, funny and with it's short chapters, its very much a page-turner. Wonder is a book that had me laughing, smiling and crying. The title of this book really does reflect it's contents. It truly is a wonder-ful book!If there's one book you'll read this year then I'd recommend choosing Wonder.- Notes of Life

This novel is aimed at a children's and young adult audience but it wouldn't harm anyone of any age to read it and be reminded not to judge by appearances and to be a little kinder to others, and it will reward those who do read it with a moving, at times dark, but also uplifting read.- The Little Reader Library

It would have been so easy to make this story grim and miserable, instead R.J. Palacio has woven a tale shot through with humour, bravery, loss and acceptance (also Star Wars, lots and lots of Star Wars!) I urge everyone that reads this to believe me when I say that you should read this book - buy it, borrow it from your local library - if your library does not have it order it so they do and once you have read it make sure that other people you know read it too!- Teen Librarian

Wonder is an amazing book, and I don't feel I can advise what age it should be for...possibly for 13 + but I don't feel like there is an age too old to read such an amazing book.- Book Angel Booktopia

It's simplicity will appeal to both children and adults alike, and there's something in it that I'm sure everyone can relate to.- Cheezyfeet Book Reviews

Frank, powerful, warm and often heart-breaking, Wonder is a book you'll read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page. This is a wonderful debut from a storyteller with a great future if this book is anything to go by and her characters are intensely likeable.- Love Reading

You know the type of books that leaves you feeling a little bit more hopeful for human kind, and that you can't help yourself hugging once you have turned the final page? Wonder is one of those books. It is heart wrenching and heartwarming, bleak and hopeful, cruel and kind, all at the same time. It is also funny in the most moving way...Read Wonder and you will find yourself on an emotional roller coaster you will not want to get off. Read Wonder and you will find yourself looking at a brighter world, even if it is only for a minute. Just read it.- Library Mice

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is an amazing, touching book that I found really heart-warming. It made me laugh, cry and had me hooked from the start...I would give this book 5 out of 5 and I admit I loved this book.- Red House

Once in a while a book comes along that everyone in the office gets REALLY excited about. Wonder is one such book. It's a universal tale of growing up and dealing with the difficulties of family life, friendships and school. But it is also the story of one amazing boy, whose voice sings out from the pages. Yes, it's sad, but the challenges August faces are sweetened by the people he meets and the novel ends with a moment of hope. The title says it all: this book is a wonder!- Red House

If you read one book this year, make it this one...a funny, emotional, brilliantly observed story...We loved it.- Bella Magazine

If you are wondering what it would be like to go through childhood with an unusual-looking face, you would be hard pressed to find a better source of information and insight…So wonder no more. Get it.- James Partridge, Changing Faces

Oh, what a treat of a book! In August Pullman, Palacio has created one of the most loveable and memorable characters in modern children's literature...Highly recommended!- Musings of a Bookshop Girl

It is curious how the gravity of serious subjects can be best expressed through humour. Comedy humanises: the light touch gives weight. It's a tactic R. J. Palacio has used to great effect in her remarkable story of a year in the life of 10-year-old August Pullman . . . It makes ordinary things extraordinary . . . Palacio has a great ear for dialogue, a sharp eye for detail and an instinctive sense of comedy. All this makes her an expert chronicler of ordinariness – and this, paradoxically, is what makes her story of an extraordinary boy so wonderful. Wonder certainly delivers what it promises – an emotional rollercoaster ride in which tears, laughter and triumphant fist-pumping are mandatory. But it is better than that. In its assured simplicity and boldness (reminiscent – it seemed to me – of To Kill a Mockingbird), it also has the power to move hearts and change minds.- Guardian

This novel reveals to the reader true beauty . . . Simplistic, moralistic and life-affirming, it deftly entertains both adult and junior readers. It should come with a special parental warning: it will leave you emotionally exhausted (in a good way) for weeks- Sunday Business Post

I really do believe, just like Mark Haddon's Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Palacio's Wonder has the potential to alter young people's outlook, sensibilities and ideas . . . Palacio's writing style is beautifully honest and humorous . . . Any reader can truly begin to engage with the story personally, exploring the lives of many different characters. This, to me, is the measure of a good read - can we put ourselves into a character's shoes? Does it question how we act and behave? Is it an enjoayble read? Wonder does each of these things and I would recommend it to anyone.- NATE Magazine

Incredibly touching, warm and heart-breaking- Woman's Weekly

By this author

About the Author

R. J. Palacio is a graphic designer by day and a writer by night. She lives in New York City with her family and a black dog called Bear. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, WONDER, has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide and has spent over three years in the UK and US bestseller charts.